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Messrs Joseph Contant, C. J. Covernton and S. Lachance. This committee have not yet reported any definite results, and have the matter still in hand.

Your council have to report that all the accounts in connection with the legislative work of last session have been paid, with the exception of two, one being from a Quebec attorney, and the other from one of the Montreal delegates to Quebec, both of which are disputed on account of being excessive and will be contested if legal action is pressed.

Your council have to report that owing to the heavy legislative expenses, it has been found necessary to increase the registration fees for the year commencing May 1st, 1899, and at a meeting of the council held on March 2nd last, the following resolution was adopted, namely: That the fees for the year commencing May 1st, 1898, and ending April 30th, 1899 be as follows: For Licentiates of Pharmacy and Physicians under Article 4033a, $10; certified clerks, $5; and certified apprentices, $2; the secretary being instructed to send to all interested parties a copy of a circular on the subject which had been adopted by the council. A petition was received from Dr. Weneslas Smith of Nicolet, on behalf of his son Harry, who is an apprentice of this association, asking the council to grant to him the license and diploma without examination, the grounds of the application being that he, Harry Smith, was a medical student, as well as a pharmacy apprentice, that he had attended the lectures, required by the Pharmacy Act, at Laval University, and had passed before his professors examinations on these subjects. After mature consideration your council declined to grant the petition, upon the ground that he had not fulfilled the requirements of the Quebec Pharmacy Act, holding, that passing examinations under professors of medical colleges, was not equivalent to passing the Pharmaceutical Board of Examiners and did not come up to the requirements of the Quebec Pharmacy Act.

Your council regret to report the death of three of the members of the association during the past year, namely: Henry Lyman of Montreal, Dr. J. A. Hamel of Chicoutimi, and J. E. Burton, late of Quebec.

The regular Board of Examiners held their semiannual examinations as follows: In Quebec, on Oct. 12th to 14th 1897, when 19 candidates for the major, and 17 for the minor examinations presented themselves. Of these, 6 major, and 5 minor candidates passed. In Montreal, on April 19th to 22nd, 1898, 26 candidates for the major and 38 candidates for the minor examinations presented themselves, and of these 5 major and 9 minor candidates were successful.

The Preliminary Board of Examiners held their

quarterly examinations, in July, October, January and April, when 124 candidates enrolled their names, and of these 37 passed.

The Registrar reports upon the registers in good standing as follows: 216 licentiates, 61 certified clerks, 165 certified apprentices and 42 physicians,, licensed under the provisions of Article 4035a of the Quebec Pharmacy Act.

The treasurer's statement will be laid before you, showing a balance on hand as follows: In Banque du Peuple $1432.33; on City and District Savings Bank, $345.85, and cash on hand $27.06, making a total balance of $1703.24. Your council beg to state here that the balance of $1432.33 in Banque du Peuple, is not at present available, but it is expected that another dividend will soon be paid, and for the remainder your council trust that it will all be paid by patient waiting. It will therefore be seen that the actual available cash balance on April 30th amounts to $370.91.

The registrar's books and treasurer's financial statement have been duly audited by the auditors appointed by the council, and by them signed and certified correct.

All of which is respectfully submitted.

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, 1898.

GENTLEMEN :-Assembled under the shadow of the Parliament Buildings, where last winter we fought a prolonged battle against great odds, I welcome you to your twenty-eighth annual meeting, and trust that the wise counsel of all will be contributed to advance the interests of that long suffering but ever obliging member of society, the Quebec Druggist.

Since our last annual meeting your Council have had to safeguard the interests of our profession. The fight was most bitter and was waged against our legal standing, not I believe by the grocers, but in reality by the department stores and cutters. So that had we lost our status, the poor grocer, who endeavored to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for our foes, would not have benefitted thereby, but would have been in a worse position than before, because the cutters would have been given the means to still further ruin legitimate trade. I am pleased, however, to state that the legislature of our land did not destroy by one fell blow all the labor and study of their predecessors who endeavored to give to the people of this Province a just and reasonable law to safeguard them against poisoning accidents, and reprehensible sales of drugs It must not be forgotten that our Pharmacy Act was amended and amended, and sanctioned only after long arduous labor and thought. Our population is yet protected by a just and reasonable law, and I trust it may long be preserved intact, to continue its good office for the wel

fare of mankind.

Defending our rights in parliament was rather expensive but our treasury was not altogether depleted, as you will have noticed by the treasurers report. Yet your council deemed it prudent to have a certain reserve in the bank to meet any future necessary expenses and so thought it wise to increase the annual fees for the current year.

The press in general did not show itself very just, or independent during our battle for equitable rights. The heavy advertiser was almost always favored. Even some of our pharmaceutical journals contained articles injurious to our cause. So the long cherished idea that the press is the defender of the right was belied. Experience has taught us that the mighty dollar has more weight with most newspapers than right.

We druggists of this province should sink our petty differences, band ourselves together and work as one man for the welfare of our Association. We see guilds formed by the grocers, the wine merchants, the tobacconists, etc. "Even barbers band themselves together for protection. Why not do likewise and, uniting in conclave, lay out plans for the furtherance of our common prosperity. Let us come together, discuss the questions of the day, and be in a position to meet the foe of our just rights. Why not organize a Druggists' Guild in every centre, the delegates from which could meet in central committee and deliberate on the various opinions advanced by the branches?

Pharmacy continues to advance everywhere. In the United States, several States have passed improved pharmacy acts; Greater New York has now a fairly good legal pharmaceutical standing; in France where we thought there existed a model pharmacy law, they have amended it' and now possess very strict legislative measures to regulate the sale and compounding of "drugs. We in Quebec have also advanced. Last April, we required of the candidates seeking our diploma and license, an examination in practical chemistry and it is proposed to make further changes in our examinations so as to keep abreast of the 'times.

You have all heard of the new B. P. and no doubt have seen the very able résumé which appeared in One of our pharmaceutical journals, written, I believe, by an officer of our College of Pharmacy. Personally I have not had sufficient time to seriously look into the changes made. My humble opinion is that all such changes, etc,, should be considered by a special Board composed of physicians and druggists, who, with their united knowledge, would be in a position to give us clear and proper report on any and all changes and innovations. The B.P. is our pharmaceutical authority and we should have a voice

in the matter.

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Your council deem it expedient not to enforce the last edition of B.P. until the examinations of April 1899.

Whilst Pharmacy, Chemistry and the allied sciences have been making rapid progress, therapy has been jogging along in the uncertain light of the past century, because no scientist has devoted any time or knowledge to its advancement. The reason is easily found, which is, that there is very little honor and no cash in such a branch of science. Besides, the multitude of syntheic drug manufacturers would oppose any such scientific advancement as being detrimental to their financial interests. The study of therapeutics offers a vast field of study to the physician and druggist Why should not some of our young Canadians venture into this field of science and help medicine to obtain some data on the therapeutical value of almost all the vegetable drugs now in use, and of which there is such uncertain knowledge.

Sooner or later the prejudice against this science will disappear. Then why should not Canadians be the pioneers on this continent and elsewhere? us put our pharmaceutical education to some practical scientific use.

Let

Another field which awaits us is that of the botanical garden. There is a splendid future for some young and awake Canadian pharmacist who will push this industry and thus establish a good paying business.

I think we, as druggists, should take steps to disclaim the avalanche of questionable advertisements we meet with in most newspapers, etc. The greater part of these shady announcements treat of subjects fit only for the consulting office of some physician of good standing. Some are not even advisable to the sanctum of the doctor. Nowaday it is sufficient in most cases to be merely a quack to pass off as a physician or a druggist, and these plagues are persons who reap a rich harvest from the gullible and ailing public, by polluting the columns of our daily press with objectionable ads., thus rendering the newspapers, books, etc., unfit reading matter for our families. For this reason, and others relating to the welfare of Pharmacy, I would welcome a federal law obliging the manufacturers of all medicinal preparations to submit their formulæ to a Dominion Board of doctors and druggists, and to be manufactured by licentiates in pharmacy. Otherwise, not to have the right to offer their preparations for sale whether wholesale or retail.

At a few of our council meetings letters from outside ruggists were read, asking the Board why it did not prosecute the cutters for illegally selling drugs. The reply was, that one of the judgments we obtained before Judge Dugas some thirteen months ago, was contested by a certiorari which was

argued and taken en delibre on the twenty-seventh of September last, and that, so long as the certiorari was not adjudged we could not proceed. I learn that the decision on this obstructive move was rendered in our favor on the sixth inst. I merely avail myself of this opportunity to explain our apparent inaction. We were amazed to see the boldness of cutters who had apparently no respect for our courts of justice and who openly violated judgments which were in force by publicly advertising prohibited goods.

While treating on legal matters I may state I was very much surprised on learning that the Monument National case had gone against us.

I feel confident that our law clearly states, who can and who cannot be proprietors of pharmacies.

We are pleased to note that some of our Montreal students constituted themselves into a society for mutual improvement. I trust that the beautiful flag which graced their meetings will long wave over them, and that their united studies will materially increase their pharmaceutical knowledge.

Our scheme for a federal Pharmaceutical Society is not yet realized. I sincerely hope that the incoming council will take this matter up at once and carry it through to a successful issue. It is urgent that we Canadian Pharmacists have a federal society where we could lay down lines of action for our mutual protection.

I was proud to be your President at the first annual banquet which was held last year at the Windsor, Montreal. Such reunions as we saw there speak well for the future of pharmaceutical matters in this old Province. And as the pleasure and honor is to be repeated this evening at the Frontenac, I will retire from office with most pleasant and lasting memories of the happy reunions that were inaugurated during my terms of office. I must not, however, lay down the gavel of the executive office without recognizing the many favors and assistance I received from the members of the council and its ever watchful and just secretary. I leave the chair, at peace with all the pharmaceutical world and will bear a grudge only against the typo. who set up my last address in English, (the French was translated from the printed English.) If the typo. who sets up this feeble effort of mine wishes to have my blessing, I would suggest that he send me a proof so that I may correct any typographical errors.

Please accept my thanks for the honor you conferred on me. R. W. Williams.

Parson-"Pat, I am sorry to see you so sick, but put your trust in the Lord."

Pat-"Trusht, sor? Be gorra, Oi'm a dimmycrat, sor, an' don't balaive in trushts."

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